HOOKED TAG

A complete, silver Early Medieval hooked tag consisting of a circular plate and a hook. The plate has two circular sewing holes near the upper edge, and is decorated with a motif made up of broad engraved lines. The lines are inlaid with niello, which only survives to the top and bottom of the tag.

The motif bears a triangular panel between the sewing holes, with a flat top and tapering edges that then expand to form a circular scroll under each hole. A curved rectangular panel sits between the ends of the scrolls. Below the panel is a broadly trapezoidal panel; slightly curved short edge at the top, flaring sides and a rounded base forming three lobes. The whole design is surrounded by a broad niello-inlaid circular groove.

The hook is slender and complete. It turns backwards abruptly at its lower third, tapering to a blunt point. The appearance of the metal is largely tarnished, but small parts of the front and reverse of the plate remain untarnished.

Dimensions: Length 15.73mm, width 12.06mm, thickness 3.03mm. Weight 0.65g.

Discussion: This is a well-known type of early-medieval hooked tag. Read provides three parallels (2008, nos. 73-75) and there are several others on the PAS database (e.g. SF-1EFD68, SOM-F575C7 and LON-EE0F14). Despite the number of parallels, a precise date for the type within the early-medieval period remains elusive.